Tanks

[sapper740]

Originally posted by John McGillivray
If you think that the documentaries made by the CBC are bad, the ones made for History Channel in the States are much much worst.

The series “Tank” has being around for some time. It was already shown on History Television here in Canada one or two years ago.

The so called experts just repeat the same worn out, inaccurate clichés. Germans good, Allies bad.

One show deals with the great superman Michael Wittmann and his super tank Tiger. The show gives an inaccurate account of the battle at Villers-Bocage. It builds Wittmann up as some kind of super hero and over looks the true cause of the debacle. The veteran 7th Armoured Division , the “Desert Rats” had lined up their vehicles nose to tail along the side of a road and were completely unprepared for action, even though they were the tip of the spear. One 6pdr gun or one Firefly in a defensive posture and Wittmann would have been toast. The show also ignores the German act of stupidity when they sent their tanks into the town of Villers-Bocage without any infantry support. They lost six Tigers and a Panzer IV. Also there is little mention of how Wittmann died, when he led his Armour straight into an ambush on Aug. 8th, and got almost his entire command wiped out.

The show about Normandy is the worst of the lot. It makes the CBC look like geniuses.

On the positive side, there is a lot of good film footages, just don’t laugh too loudly at the commentaries.

John, I have no love for the S.S. They were bloodthirsty murderers of the worst order, but I grudgingly give respect for one's fighting prowess when due. Have you read the I. SS-Panzerkorps General Command's submission for his Ritterkreuz des Eisernens Kreuz mit Goldenem Eichenlaub und Schwerten?(Knight's Cross to the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Crossed Swords)

(Translation)

AT 0800 HOURS, A SECURITY POST REPORTED TO SS OBERSTURMFUHRER WITTMAN THAT A STRONG COLUMN OF ENEMY TANKS WAS MARCHING ON THE ROAD CAEN-VILLERS-BOCAGE.
WITTMAN, WHO WAS IN COVER WITH HIS TIGER 200M. SOUTH OF THE ROAD, IDENTIFIED AN ENGLISH TANK UNIT FOLLOWED BY AN ENGLISH ARMOURED CAR BATTALION.
THE SITUATION DEMANDED IMMEDIATE ACTION. WITTMAN WAS UNABLE TO ISSUE ANY ORDERS TO HIS DISMOUNTED MEN. INSTEAD HE IMMEDIATELY PUSHED INTO THE ENGLISH COLUMN WITH HIS OWN PANZER, FIRING ON THE MOVE. THROUGH THIS QUICK ACTION THE ENEMY COLUMN WAS INITIALLY SEPARATED. AT A DISTANCE OF 80 M., WITTMAN KNOCKED OUT 4 SHERMAN TANKS. THEN HE MANEUVERED HIS TIGER INTO AND PARALLEL TO THE COLUMN AT 10 TO 30M. AND DROVE ALONGSIDE, IN IT'S MARCHING DIRECTION, FIRING ON THE MOVE. HE WAS SUCCESSFUL IN KNOCKING OUT 15 HEAVY ENEMY TANKS WITHIN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME. A FURTHER 6 TANKS WERE KNOCKED OUT AND THEIR CREWS FORCED TO BAIL OUT. THE ACCOMPANYING BATTALION OF ARMOURED CARS WAS ALMOST COMPLETELY DESTROYED. THE FOUR PANZERS OF THE WITTMAN KOMPANIE, FOLLOWING BEHIND TOOK APPROXIMATELY 230 PRISONERS. WITTMAN ADVANCED FURTHER, FAR AHEAD OF HIS KOMPANIE, INTO THE TOWN OF VILLERS-BOCAGE. IN THE CENTRE OF TOWN HIS TIGER WAS RENDERED IMMOBILE BY A HEAVY ENEMY ANTI-TANK GUN. DESPITE THIS, HE STILL DESTROYED ALL ENEMY VEHICLES WITHIN RANGE AND DISPERSED THE ENEMY UNIT. THEN, HE AND HIS CREW BAILED OUT. THEY MADE THEIR WAY ON FOOT APPROXIMATELY 15 KILOMETERS TO THE PANZER-LEHR DIVISION. THERE HE REPORTED TO THE 1a, TURNED AROUND WITH 15 PANZERS OF THE PANZER-LEHR DIVISION AND ADVANCED AGAIN ON VILLERS-BOCAGE. HIS SCHWIMM-VAGEN HAD CAUGHT UP IN THE MEANTIME. IN IT HE MADE HIS WAY TO 1. KOMPANIE IN ACTION ALONG THE MAIN ROAD TO VILLERS-BOCAGE. USING HIS RECENT FIGHTING AND SITUATION EXPERIENCES, HE DIRECTED 1. KOMPANIE INTO ACTION AGAINST THE ENEMY TANK AND ANTI-TANK GUN FORCES STILL IN THE TOWN.*



* Submission for the awarding of the Oak Leaves with Swords to the Knights' Cross by the chief command of 1. SS Panzerkorps "Liebstandarte" of 13 June 1944, copy from the collection of Jost W. Schneider


In the book, The 12th SS by Hubert Meyer who was the first General Staff Officer of the 12th SS 'HITLERJUGEND" it is stated on pg. 236: he (Wittman) had "knocked out 138 enemy tanks and 132 enemy anti-tank guns" by June 14.
Obersturmfuhrer Wittman was instrumental in Montgomery's abandonment of "Operation Perch."

Pretty ballsy in any man's army, I'd say!




CHIMO!